Dam



C. TRUMPY Feb. 2, 1932.

DAM

2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 19 2s FIE'J.

w/ TIVE-SS C. TRUMPY Feb. 2, 1932.

DAM

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 18,. 1926 FIE- W/T/VEss Patented Feb. 2, 1932 'Applicationfiled. nove ber iaiszs. ,Seria1 1 \io.149,163.

. This invention relates to dams' 'and more particularly to improved features of dam construction.

Heretofore. various attempts have been 10 necessity of increasing the dam thickness downwardly as is also required in the well known gravity dams. With such arches the spring of the arch is the same from top to bottom, while the span is equal to the breadth of 15 the dam at any given heightQ The provision of horizontal arches also renders it necessary to rely upon the anchorage at the bottom to Withstand the greater part of the strains to which the structure is subjected, the arch form being depended upon to absorb only a: small portion thereof. The horizontal construction of the arches'also renders it impossible to employ single arch dams except in those places where very steep-valley sides are available for safe embedding of the abutments.

An object of this invention is to provide a dam having an arch construction of such arrangement that substantially all forces to which the dam is subjected by the'confined water are transmitted to the anchorage or dam foundations by means of an arch formatlon so that substantially no part of the dam is subjected to bending strains by such forces.

A further object is to produce a dam of avoid the necessity of increasing the thickness of the dam to compensate for increased water ressure from the top to thebottom thereof. A still further object is to providea single dam bedsthan has heretofore been possible.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in this particular art are attained by means ofthis invention, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the such form that substantially all forces to arch dam capable of being 'used at broader V the narrowing of the cross sectional-area of the dam, provides a structure havinga stifidrawings, wherein Figure l is a view in elevation of a dam constructed in accordance with one form of this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig.

4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of line 5T-5 thereof. i

Y In carrying out the present invention I so construct the dam that substantially all forces Fi "3 fand Fig. 5'is-asimilar view on the towhich. it is subjected by the confined water are absorbed'by means of an arch formation of such arrangement that 'no portion of'the dam wall is subjected to'bending strains.

I This is accomplished by forming the damso that ibis, in eflect,a portion of aicone, the

apexof which islocatedon the up-stream side and'at the lowermost or deepest portion of the dam-" The cone section is so placed that the axis thereoffpassing from the apex through 1 the assumed base ofthe cone, is somewhat inclined upwardly from the apex t'owardthe base but its angular position may be varied in accordance with the form of the j dam bed so that the surface of the cone exposed to the water pressure is at substantially a right angle to the resultant of the water pressure on the dam wall. I

' The particular arrangementof'this invention which has been chosen'for the purposes of illustration is shown'in the form .of a single arch dam 6, wherein the arch is positioned at an angle to the horizontal andsubstantially parallelto the direction'of the resultant'force of the water pressure indicated by the arrow vault 6 is so formed that its span decreases downwardly. The rise of the elongated arch or height of the vault also decreases downwardly with'the result that the shape of the dam is that of a partial cone with the apex 8. pointing Lip-stream and lying approximately in the apex of the dam bed or foundation 9 which is of angular shape.

The tapering of the vault 6 downwardly, or

ness which increases downwardly in accordance with, ormore rapidly than, the increase 7 inthe water pressure and this is accomplished STATES PATENT oF cs i i CASPER ,TRUMPY, or BERGEN, ivoiawA *7 in Fig.3. The elongated arch or arched without any thickening of the dam wall as has heretofore been necessary.

The cone top line 10 preferably forms an angle of 45 to with the horizontal. The sloping of the cones axis 11 will vary in ace cordance with the form of the particular dam bed associated therewith. Sections through the cone parallel to the water pressure resultant, see Figs. 4c and 5, are nearly circular in form and the central angles 12 for the arcs of such sections will Vary from 90. to 120. With narrow dam beds and with high dams this angle Will be greater than with Wider dam beds and lower dams.

The sloping of the dam depends upon the central angle 12 and this slope should be sufficient to prevent any point of the dams water side overhanging a lower arch portion.

The cross sections of the dam parallel to the water pressure resultant should be formed according to the load to be carried and in this way will vary somewhat from a true circular form.

Where the vault 6, because of its sloping position, does not extend entirely across the whole width of the dam bed lb is joined to the sides by vertical walls 13, as in any ordinary gravity dam, and such points provide suitable places for the overflow when necessary.

With the arrangement of the present invention, each section of the dam surface taken on. planes parallel to the direction of the water pressure resultant acting on the dam is not only substantially a portion of a circle but constitutes a substantially uniformly loaded arch between supportin 'abutments, result that all portions of the dam are subjected to compression. A further result of this particular form of structure is that such arches decrease in spring toward the deepest iortion of the dam and are, therefore, stiffer and more effective in resisting the water pressure to which they are subjected. If a dam is constructed in accordance with my invention this increase in stiffness from the top toward the deepest portion of the dam exceeds the increase in water pressure and it is consequently unnecessary to increase the hickness of the dam from the top to the bottorn to compensate for or take care of the increasing water pressure. sons the wall thickness cannot be smaller than .80 to 1.00 meters, but such a thickness can be used even with comparatively high dams. Where the dam bed is unusually wide thisthickness must be somewhat increased, especially at the upper portion, due to the increasing bending radius of the formation.

hat I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A retaining wall such as a dam, including an angular foundation with an apex pointing 1n a direction opposite to the gen- I eral direction of the forces to be resisted and with the For practical rea- 7 form thickness throughout supported by said foundation and tapering from an apex supported by the apex of said foundation to an arch supported by the extending legs of said foundation with the force resisting face of said structure extending at right angles to the resultant of the forces to be resisted.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21 day of October, 1926.

CASPER TRUMPY. 

